I'm working on the Van's toolbox practice kit and did my first bucked rivets today. It was a disaster. Not only did I bend the metal adjacent to the rivet I was working on but I also added the dreaded crescent shapes. SUPER disappointed as I'm already a little overwhelmed with the thought of building this airplane.
I have two theories as to what happened. First, my rivet gun didn't come with the swivel head that I see on virtually all YouTube videos (and I've watched dozens and dozens of videos of people driving rivets). According to a video I watched from Cleaveland Tools, they don't recommend that swivel head (for several reasons). My rivet gun was walking around on the material even though I had it pretty perpendicular.
This is the swivel head I'm talking about:
My second theory is I didn't have the toolbox clamped down and maybe because it's so light, that caused the box to move around while riveting.
Here is the damage (the pictures actually look better than in person):
So my questions:
1- Should I be using that red swivel head thingy?
2- Should I secure (clamp down) any light pieces that I'm riveting?
There is no way on earth I'm touching real airplane parts until I figure this out and I just picked up my first kit (wings) a few days ago so I'm ready to start.
I have two theories as to what happened. First, my rivet gun didn't come with the swivel head that I see on virtually all YouTube videos (and I've watched dozens and dozens of videos of people driving rivets). According to a video I watched from Cleaveland Tools, they don't recommend that swivel head (for several reasons). My rivet gun was walking around on the material even though I had it pretty perpendicular.
This is the swivel head I'm talking about:
My second theory is I didn't have the toolbox clamped down and maybe because it's so light, that caused the box to move around while riveting.
Here is the damage (the pictures actually look better than in person):
So my questions:
1- Should I be using that red swivel head thingy?
2- Should I secure (clamp down) any light pieces that I'm riveting?
There is no way on earth I'm touching real airplane parts until I figure this out and I just picked up my first kit (wings) a few days ago so I'm ready to start.